Get this stuff:
Bone-in or deboned pork shoulder (whole or half)
1.5 Cups Beef, or pork stock
2 TBS Brown sugar
1 TB Fig preserve
2 TBS Salt
7-10 Peppercorns
1-2 tsp Mustard
5-6 cloves Garlic
1 sprig Rosemary
2 tsp Vanilla extract (really)
Preheat oven to 250ºF (this is not set in stone, but is a good starting point)
In a small pan, combine the stock, salt, and brown sugar. Reduce the stock until it begins to thicken a little (you don’t want it terribly viscous, just a bit more concentrated). With the heat off, add the fig preserve, peppercorns, mustard, garlic (crushed with a knife), herbs, and vanilla extract. We recognize that the inclusion of vanilla in a recipe with meat seems peculiar, but the way it augments the succulence of the meat and adds almost a creaminess to it is something that must be experienced. Let this cool for a few minutes so that it will not melt the bag which will act as both marination and cooking vessel.
Should you find that your craving for succulent, unethically-tender pork coincides with the day that you’ve lent your $800 sous-vide immersion circulator to that unreliable relative or friend of yours, have no fear! You will require only a large freezer bag, a relatively-large-but-can-still-fit-in-your-oven sized pot, and an oven. And now we science (v.)!
To achieve pork that is near-pulled in texture, but still able to be sliced, it needs to be cooked for about 12 hours at around 175ºF. While the meat will technically be “well done,” at 175ºF, the tightly interspersed fat and gelatin of the shoulder will allow the meat to be unbelievably tender, and leave the mouth none the wiser. Higher temperatures will yield the famous phenomenon known a pulled-pork, while lower temperatures will produce a more cohesive effect. Of course, with different temperatures also comes different timings—subsequent posts will explain these nuances. By cooking the pork shoulder, an ordinarily tough cut, for 12 hours at 175ºF, you are allowing the collagen enough time to break down into its component gelatin molecules (the protein responsible for Jell-O), which are responsible for that comforting fill-your-mouth feel that you get when eating a traditional slow-cooked meat (like ossobuco, a Milanese dish comprising braised veal shanks, vegetables, stock, and white wine, bay leaf, cinnamon, and gremolata—a combination of spices (like India’s garam masala), typically lemon zest/peel, garlic, and parsley—a pesto of sorts, though not usually ground). As a rule, tougher cuts of meat when cooked quickly (on the grill, in the pan, an oven on high), i.e., the portions of the animal that would get the most exercise, are rendered into fall-off-the-bone masterpieces that bring together the heart of comfort food and the sense and fine taste of gourmet cooking.
Fill your large pot nearly to the brim with water and leave it in the sink. Place the pork shoulder into the large freezer bag without letting it touch the zip top of the bag and pour in the marinade. Wash your hands and then zip the majority of the bag closed. Keeping the unzipped portion above the water slowly lower the rest of the bag into the pot of as-of-yet unheated water, allowing the air to escape the bag. Once the majority of the air has left the bag, complete the seal and put it aside. Heat a large pot of water (mostly filled, with just enough room for the pork) to about 175ºF. Place the bag into the pot of water and transfer the pot to the oven. You will likely have to adjust your oven temperature so that the water bath (with probe still in it while it is in the oven) maintains a temperature between 170ºF and 175ºF. Setting the oven to 250ºF works in our ovens, but ovens are fickle beasts, and you should be prepared to play around with the temperature settings a bit (give it at least 10 min to equalize before adjusting again). After 12 hours, take your baby out of the oven and sear it quickly on very high heat with oil (let the oil nearly smoke). It’s not necessary to sear the meat, but the browning that occurs (maillard reaction) adds some wonderful flavors. If you don’t plan on using it right away, put it in the refrigerator, or even the freezer. To reheat, simply place it in a water bath that does not exceed 175ºF, and let it warm up. Easy.
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